It's easy to see why the Vantare line of luxury yachts are built and designed as they are when you know a little about Vantare president Mike Guth's background. As a Navy officer, he was involved in the outfitting and maintenance of submarines and high-speed surface craft, a world where lightness and speed are carefully balanced against strength and durability. Retiring from the Navy, he became a successful builder of energy-efficient custom homes in the Northwest - but then the boating bug bit him.

vantare yachts

The pride of the Vantare fleet is the 53' Pilothouse.



The philosophy of the entire Vantare line, including this 53', is to produce strong but lightweight yachts using the latest fiberglass technology, so that the fairly small power plants can achieve both speed and fuel economy without sacrificing seaworthiness. It's not a small task, but designer Jack Sarin (who is responsible for all the Vantare' lines) has met the requirements admirably.

The hull is one-piece, using Divinycel coring (which is also used in the deck and house) and Knytex, a stitched-together blend of woven roving and mat that requires less resin (and hence less weight) to achieve high strength. Isophthalic resin is used both for strength and for protection against blistering, resulting in a light but strong hull. Foam stringers are used in areas of stress, but the overall stiffness of the hull shell has reduced the need for heavy structural bracing and allows for better utilization of the interior space as well as a lighter finished product.

Another seemingly impossible design request was to have 6'8" headroom throughout the interior but still keep the lines of the superstructure sleek, both to lower the center of gravity and to achieve the European styling. Again, Sarin used the interior volume of the low-stringered hull and the 16' beam to accomplish both requirements. The use of balsa coring in the upper deck has removed most of the headroom-stealing supports without loss of strength.

The rakish forefoot, sweptback pilothouse windscreen, and attention to styling details mark the Vantare' 53 as a "Med-styled" yacht, although the power plant isn't nearly as large as you might expect.

Standard power is a pair of Cat 3208TA diesels of 375 HP each, which are considerably smaller and more economical than usually found on similarly sized yachts. But the Vantare' weighs in at a slim 43,600 lb. gross and the engines push her easily over 20 knots. An array of optional power plants up to a pair of 8V92TA Jimmies from Johnson and Towers that put out 735 HP each and give the 53' a speed of more than 33 knots were available options.

The swimstep and cockpit make boarding easy, while walk-around side decks eliminate having to track through the saloon on rainy days while handling lines. The saloon is a spacious center of activity, with the galley forward and separated by a curved counter. An electric range with grill, microwave oven, refrigerator/freezer with ice maker, dishwasher, Nutone blender, and trash compactor are all standard.

The pilothouse is raised above saloon level, and has a full helm station as well as consoles for electronics and a chart table. Just behind the helm seat is a settee and table for guests to lounge while underway. A companionway leads from the pilothouse (there's also a ladder from the cockpit) to the flying bridge, which has another complete helm station, built-in seating, a radar arch, and space for a dinghy on chocks.

Two basic accommodation plans are standard, and our test boat had the double stateroom arrangement that provides two large cabins, each with a queen-sized berth. The master stateroom is reached from the saloon, and it takes full advantage of the hull's width. The island berth is centered, with bureau and hanging lockers to starboard, and a private head compartment with both tub and shower to port. The guest stateroom is forward, with access from the pilothouse and, because of the narrower beam at the bow, is slightly smaller but no less elegant. It also has private head compartment (stall shower only) and extensive storage. In the passageway leading to the guest quarters are the washer and dryer, as well as the central vacuum system.

An alternate interior arrangement put the master stateroom forward, and divides the amidship area into two more cabins, one with a double berth and one a single, with a shared head compartment to port.

vantare 53 cabin

Regardless of the layout chosen, the Vantare' 53 came fully decorated with satin-finished teak bulkheads, decorative wall coverings, mini-blinds in the saloon, a teak and holly sole in the galley and pilothouse, and ceramic tile flooring in the master head.



The engine room, which is separated by a watertight door (there is also a watertight bulkhead forward) is heavily sound and vibration insulated and has superb access to all sides of both engines as well as the Northern Lights 8KW generator. Guth's naval background is evident in the color-coded copper water lines and the carefully loomed electrical wiring. A work bench, complete with sink, is already installed, and there is even a fresh water hose for topping up the engine coolant.

See Vantare yacht listings.

Editor's note: this article was updated in July of 2017.